Connection and Community: Building Your Support System

As human beings, we need to interact with each other and improve ourselves so that we become better than before. Joining an inspiring community can be one of the solutions as it gives us various opportunities to meet others and share our views with them. Besides, it also promotes our physical as well as mental health.

While communities can encourage their members to enhance their skills, networking, and experience, joining them can be a challenge, too. Before we join, we have no idea of what kind of communities we are in which can make us feel stressed. Glenity Marchella Siauw, Cashlez Strategic Partnership, explained how her past community experience taught and shaped her into today.

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The like-minded souls in the community

As a person who wanted to improve her confidence, Glenity considered joining a supportive community as one of her important to-do lists during her university life. Moreover, she had just moved from Manado to Cikarang, the city where she pursued her undergraduate studies. At first, it was confusing to decide which community she had to be involved in. Based on her experience, Glenity suggested that we could start by considering a community that suits us the most because the members usually have something similar to us.

It was HIMA (Himpunan Mahasiswa), or Student Association, that Glenity chose to join. At first, she faced difficulties socialising, but she got support from other HIMA members. This Cashlezian, who is often called "Glen," emphasised that when becoming a new member, we should never show selfishness. "As we open our minds, we will be able to adapt well to the community and respect each other’s culture.

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The relationships we should foster

Building relationships in a community is a journey, not a goal. Therefore, we also need to decide whether an organisation is worth joining or not. According to Glen, there are some red flags we should be aware of, such as egoism, fault-finding, and intolerance. Meanwhile, the supportive community will allow its members to express opinions, build trust, and learn new skills. As a HIMA member, Glenity improved her public speaking talent and reduced her nervousness.

Besides having positive impacts on an organisation, a member should also try to give their best for the organisation’s development. The most simple thing we can do is participate in an event, either as committee members or participants. Glenity, who was appointed as the secretary, was in charge of organising documents and administering HIMA’s activities. Since she helped her colleagues prepare events, she also developed her creativity.

The life-time lessons from communities

The contribution we give to a community will not only affect ourselves at present, but also in the future. From the activities we participated in, we learned the importance of maintaining good relationships. Creating first impressions definitely matters, but how our relationships go will be determined by our behaviours.

After graduating from President University, Glenity worked as the Strategic Partnership at Cashlez. Her previous community experience plays a significant role in her professional life, for instance, when she has to manage time efficiently during a tight schedule. In addition, she can also implement her project management skills to prepare the collaboration between Cashlez and its partners.

Being a part of a community is a journey you have to embrace. It allows you to meet the people in your corner who are willing to give feedback instead of judging you. Besides, you can also acquire positive impacts for your personal and professional development.